| Title: |
Barriers to diagnosis of work-related asthma |
| Issue: |
Occupational asthma is the most common chronic occupational lung disease in Ontario. In occupational asthma, the best prognosis is associated with early diagnosis and removal from exposure to workplace sensitizers. However, the average delay in the medical diagnosis of occupational asthma is 2-3 years after the onset of asthma symptoms. Identifying some of the factors behind this delay will help direct intervention efforts to eliminate the delay and achieve better prognoses for occupational asthma sufferers. |
| Objectives: |
• To identify individual worker and workplace factors related to delayed diagnosis of occupational asthma.
• To identify the duration of time between the initial physician visit for symptoms and times to specialist referral and/or WSIB claim submission.
|
| Anticipated Results: |
Significant associations between individual or work-related factors and a delayed diagnosis could allow targeting of medical surveillance or education programs to those most in need, and may indicate the most optimal work environments to provide early recognition of this major occupational disease. |
| Investigators: |
Susan Tighe, University of Waterloo
|
| Year Funded: |
2002 |
| Budget: |
$117,000 |
| Funding Agency: |
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario
|
| Keywords: |
occupational asthma, work-related asthma, irritant-induced asthma / asthme du travail, asthme attribuable au travail, asthme provoqué par des irritants, |
